Nelson Vergel
Founder, ExcelMale.com
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The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein according to U.S. government standards is 0.8 gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of ideal body weight for the adult. This translates into 0.36 grams per pound of body weight per day. But as you probably know, the RDA requirements have been designed for healthy people. People with chronic infections may require more. However, there is very little research about this. If you are sicker, your requirements increase to support your body's production of immune cells, cytokines, lean body mass (LBM), and metabolic active tissues. The bodybuilding world usually follows a very high intake of 1 gram per pound of bodyweight per day. I think this may be too high for most of us to handle. Most people's gut can not handle more than 30-40 grams of protein per meal (higher amounts produce bloating, gas and indigestion in many). Some people can handle more if they take digestive enzymes.
I would say that if you have a pretty good exercise program and need to gain LBM, you may want at least 2 times the RDA for protein. Think of eating 3/4 of a gram of protein for each pound of ideal body weight. Your ideal weight is 160 pounds? You should eat 120 grams of protein a day. If you are actively wasting due to illness, 1 gram per pound per day may be needed, but it is very difficult for people to consume that kind of quantities due to nausea and lack of appetite.
Two of the most common milk based proteins are whey and casein. Whey seems to be a complete protein with all the branched chain aminoacids needed for health and lean body mass enhancement. Casein is also a complete protein and may be as effective and cheaper than whey. But both can be heavy on the gut for many of us with lactose intolerance.
There are four types of whey products:whey concentrates, whey isolates, whey hydrosolates, and ion exchanged whey. The first two have active immunoglobulins that may be beneficial to the immune system, and the last two are more expensive forms that claim to be more easily digested and that contain less lactose. People with milk protein intolerance usually cannot digest more whey proteins well, and have bloating, gas and diarrhea. In a small HIV study, the use of whey isolates did not improve lean body mass compared to placebo since people tended to decrease their total caloric consumption to compensate for the extra calories provided by the shake, so whey became a meal replacement, not a supplement. But there was a trend towards higher CD4 cells in the whey protein group. Whey can also increase glutathione, our body's own antioxidant.
Other protein powders are made of egg white, rice and soy. Egg white powders can be a good option for those intolerant to whey. Rice protein is not a complete protein, but it is the easiest to digest for those with sensitive digestive systems. Soy is good for women but it is also not a complete protein. I do not use soy since there are some indications that it may increase estrogen (female hormone) in men.
A meta analysis of protein supplement studies found that supplementing protein to account for more than 20 percent of total daily calories resulted in clinical benefits in different populations.
Keep in mind that these supplements should be just that: supplements and not meal replacements. I am allergic to whey and lactose so I prefer real food to get my protein uptake requirements (lean meats, eggs, cheese, nuts, etc)
